[Mountaindewed]

My old doctor says I’m not bipolar because I’ve never been manic. My new doctor is confused because I told him I’m not bipolar yet I’m on bipolar meds. So I was wondering, can you be bipolar without mania? Or are my meds working really well?

I have mood swings. sometimes my mood changes every few minutes. Yet I rarely show them. I can be really moody yet talk to people calmly and rationally to the point they think I’m just feeling normal.

I don’t know. Maybe I just have very good control over my moods.

[Pookyl]

It’s hard to know. My understanding is that Type2 BP experience hypomania not full blown mania.
What meds are you on ? There must’ve been a reason you were put on them.

[MobiusPsyche]

Have you ever had a clear mixed episode? I think that's why I'm diagnosed bipolar.

[downandlonely]

With bipolar 2, the mania can be more like irritability. That's what my Mom has. But sometimes they use anti-psychotics and mood stabilizers with depressed people to augment the anti-depressants. I'm not bipolar, but I took abilify for a while.

[Aviza]

I live in mania my mom says why you on a med thats for bipolar depression when your not depressed. Well the med works, and why mess with what works. Fact is i used to be depressed due to situation not chemically. Now not. Anyway, don't worry about it. Just do what works, if its not working than question it.

Bipolar meds may be tried if antidepressants don’t work.

Do your meds help you?

Your new doc can order your records with your permission

[Mountaindewed]

I’m on geodon and lamictal. I don’t know what a mixed episode is. My meds are working. But I’m not sure how well they work or if It’s just the mindfulness I use.

I was orginally put on these meds for mood swings and behavior issues that turned out to be undiagnosed PMDD. Once I got on birth control I made a lot of progress.

I’m not going to have my records sent over. My new doctor was so obsessed with my past and shrugged off how I’ve been the past 7 years. I don’t want him to diagnose me with something I may have had 11 years ago but not something I’ve had for the past 5 years.

Signing over my records would be a very bad choice.

Who is really to say? Bipolar or not???

Only time can Tell. There is cycling to ultradian rapID cycling. There is also borderline personality disorder. Also DID aka MPD. Not much can be properly diagnosed 10 minute visit with an unqualified bio mechanic. Keep looking.

[Mountaindewed]

What is an unqualified bio mechanic? It was actually an hour long assessment.

And keep looking for what exactly? Another doctor? Another diagnoses? What?

[Shazerac]

The more research they do they are figuring out that it’s more of a spectrum than either/or. Someone can be mostly depressed with occasional mania or hypo mania. Many people never have an episode of full blown psychotic mania. I never have. I get really hyper and distracted though.

[pirilin]

....indeed.

[*Laurie*]

"Manic" can mean a lot of mood states. Hollywood shows manic as the textbook hyper-energized, no sleep, hyper-sexual, etc., etc. type of mania.

The truth is, irritability/anger/rage can be a mania. Severe anxiety can be a form of mania ("dysphoric mania"). And so on.

[amicus_curiae]

Originally Posted by Shazerac

The more research they do they are figuring out that it’s more of a spectrum than either/or. Someone can be mostly depressed with occasional mania or hypo mania. Many people never have an episode of full blown psychotic mania. I never have. I get really hyper and distracted though.

I’m never certain of what makes me more or less psychotic. I’m always in a low-level manic delusional state, though. I can feel depressed for a time (like now) but not so horrible as MDD.

I’m a pendulum.

[Wild Coyote]

Yes. I have never been manic. (BPII)


WC

[cool09]

My PDOC said I have agitated depression which is a form of bipolar and I don't get manic. I have mixed mood swings between depression and agitation.

Some doctors have a pretty wide definition of the bipolar spectrum. Some feel that some patients may be on the very lower end even without sufficient symptoms to qualify for cyclothymia or bipolar 2, let alone bipolar 1. The main thing is if moodstabilizers and/or antipsychotics give you more relief than antidepressants or antidepressants alone.

[PenguinExMachina]

I'm diagnosed with Bipolar II, but I don't even get the typical hypomania. It swings from depression to this agitated mixed state and back. I've had numerous different diagnosis because the PDocs I've seen can never seem to make up their mind. All they can agree on is there is some type of mood disorder going on.
I like the idea that Bipolar is more of a spectrum than just clear cut I or II.

[~Christina]

Everyone has their own unique soup of Bipolar.

Sure the DSMV has guidelines that can help some.

But everyone’s bipolar is different.

I don’t get happy puppy rainbow Mania I get the angry hate the world type.

My daughter has Bipolar 1 also but our mood shifts are very different.

[salsharia]

Originally Posted by Aviza

I live in mania my mom says why you on a med thats for bipolar depression when your not depressed. Well the med works, and why mess with what works. Fact is i used to be depressed due to situation not chemically. Now not. Anyway, don't worry about it. Just do what works, if its not working than question it.

I agree - I think it’s easy to hung up on the diagnosis but the most important part is your healing and if what you are taking works then that is a very good thing.

[salsharia]

If your moods fluctuate independently of life events that’s more of a bipolar thing than thr alternative where only life events trigger drastic mood episodes. However, life events can still trigger a bipolar episode the mood swings are mostly episodic. Did they propose another diagnosis if it’s no longer bipolar?

[Mountaindewed]

My new therapist mentioned the possibility of type 2 bipolar today.

[clydeblack]

It could be that you have slight hypomania or mixed states. That happens a lot. Where you get angry or easily irritable for no reason. Or you may sometimes be more productive than others.

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by Bozdickens

I’m on geodon and lamictal. I don’t know what a mixed episode is. My meds are working. But I’m not sure how well they work or if It’s just the mindfulness I use.

I was orginally put on these meds for mood swings and behavior issues that turned out to be undiagnosed PMDD. Once I got on birth control I made a lot of progress.

I’m not going to have my records sent over. My new doctor was so obsessed with my past and shrugged off how I’ve been the past 7 years. I don’t want him to diagnose me with something I may have had 11 years ago but not something I’ve had for the past 5 years.

Signing over my records would be a very bad choice.

I also have PMDD and my bio father has tried to convince doctors that I have bipolar because of it, but the fact is that I have never been manic or hypomanic. The PMDD causes specific mood behaviors during my cycle that are absolutely predictable and manageable through birth control. I have been prescribed an anti-depressant in the past to assist with the PMDD but it didn't have any effect.

As others have said, sometimes bipolar meds are prescribed off label for other reasons. I have been given mood stabilizers as sleep meds. I also do not have bipolar.

I agree with you about asking the doctor to do a complete new workup and not see former diagnoses. But you can give him complete information on your history verbally. He should respect that you want an honest, unbiased opinion, therefore do not want to share those records but will be willing to verbally share the history with him.

Seesaw

[Mountaindewed]

Based on today it might seem like mania.

I was euphoric the entire day. I spent over $100 at the mall and I felt just really good and now I don’t want to go to sleep and I’ve been sending multiple messages to the same people even though they are not answering me back yet.

I have SAD though. And for the past 13 years I’ve gotten like this the first few days of spring.

So I’m guessing it’s this.

[Shazerac]

I tend to get spring fever. I’m on top of the world.